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iBio shares jump with flu shot clinical trial

iBio's ($IBIO) shares have jumped 21% with the announcement that it has completed the first Phase I clinical trial of its plant-based vaccine for H1N1 influenza, HAC1. The study of the vaccine, produced by iBio's partner the Fraunhofer USA Center for Molecular Biotechnology, aimed to assess the vaccine's safety, as well as looking for early clues to its ability to trigger an immune response against the flu virus.

The study showed that the vaccine was safe and well-tolerated at low and high doses, regardless of whether an adjuvant was used. The vaccine also triggered immune responses, with the best immune response seen in the people who received the highest dose of the vaccine without an adjuvant. This was a similar response to a marketed flu shot.

The vaccine's development is supported by funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The vaccine is based on iBio's iBioLaunch platform, which uses plants to produce engineered proteins. The researchers are analyzing the data and are preparing a manuscript for a peer-reviewed journal.